The goal of the collaborative Klamath River Basin Food Security Project is to re build  a sustainable food system that supports healthy communities, ecosystems and economies among the Karuk, Klamath and Yurok Tribes.

backtotop
In This Issue

Sharing our Successes:
July/August 2016

AFRI Food Security Project Team.

Ayukîi, Aiy-ye-kwee', Waqlisi, Hello!successes
Greetings from all of us at the Food Security Project! We're wrapping up the fourth year of our five year project working together to increase access and share knowledge about delicious, healthy, culturally relevant foods in the Klamath Basin. THANK YOU to everyone who has come out or helped out with our gardens, orchards, workshops, classes, camps, meetings, field trips, events and restoration work - over 4,000 adults and kids up and down the river this past year. 
 
Some of the things we're most excited about:

Education

New partnerships
between the Karuk Tribe, Mid Klamath Watershed Council, and local school districts mean new cultural and healthy eating experiences for students, and a new Native Food Security Curriculum in many of our Mid Klamath schools.

  "...kids who don't necessarily identify with other parts of school are like 'I know this. I know this, I can share this, this is important'... school is different than other parts of their lives, so they can see a connection between what they know and what's valuable learning." - elementary school teacher  

"On the way home from school, [my child] made me stop at all the madrones and service berries to gather berries. He didn't stop talking about what he'd learned until we got home." - parent


Gardening  

7 community gardens
in Klamath, Weitchpec, Happy Camp and Orlea
ns (CA) and Klamath Falls and Chiloquin (OR) offer community education and fresh vegetables. 7 new greenhouses extend the growing season. Hands-on gardening activities with kids happen weekly almost year-round! 
 
17 neglected orchards have been reclaimed and are being actively maintained. Newly trained technicians propagated 200 new trees this year.
 
Information and Cultural Resources

First of its kind, the Sípnuuk Digital Library, Archives and Museum was officially launched in March by the Karuk Tribe. Sípnuuk
( https://sipnuuk.mukurtu.net/ ) has already logged almost 300 visitors from 8 different countries!
 
MKWC's Community Foodsheds website now offers 62 pages of regionally specific farm & garden info, along with additional references and links. Check it out here.  

Food Crew from the Karuk and Yurok Tribes
have been trained in
cultural food plant identification, collection and mounting, and are now creating tribal herbaria (AKA plant libraries). The Karuk Tribal Herbarium launches August 11th (details below).
 

Networking

Mid Klamath Food Shed Facebook page
now has 639 members
exchanging vegetable starts, gardening advice, news, events and inspiration.

"I have three extra Costoluto Genovese tomato plants in four inch pots that need a home. Free, though if anyone out there has basil starts to trade that would be much appreciated."
 
Unique Study

950 Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa and Klamath Tribes
members and descendants contributed to our Food System Assessment through surveys, interviews, and focus groups (thank you!). We're analyzing your input now, and in Year 5 we will share findings with all 4 tribal communities.

*** 
 
It's hard to believe that four years have slipped by since we started the Food Security Project. We'll be back for the fifth and final year with more opportunities to learn about, grow, and eat good food. Thank you for helping us build food security in the Klamath. Have a wonderful summer, and we hope to see you soon! 

Have a question, or an item for the newsletter? Contact Edith in the Berkeley office. Thanks!

Photos this issue by Ben Saxon, Chris Peters, Grant Gilkison, Heather Rickard, Megan Mucioki, and Perri McDaniel.

eventsThis Month on the River
 

Karuk Tribe
The Karuk Tribe cordially invites all community members to participate in our weekly Food Security programs, happening Monday - Thursday in Orleans and Happy Camp. Regular activities include:
  • Herbarium Collection/Mounting
  • Back to the Garden Tuesdays (with Mid Klamath Watershed Committee)
  • Traditional Food Groves Assessment
  • Orchard Fruit Survey
  • Basketry Materials Collection & Weaving
CLICK HERE for full schedule, locations and contact information.

We
Red Elderberry.
hope you'll join us for these special events too:

Sudden Oak Death Outreach - with SOD researchers from UC Davis and UCCE. Happy Camp and Orleans, first week of August. Times and agenda to be confirmed. Contact Lisa Hillman, [email protected], 530-627-3446 for more information.
 
Karuk Tribal Herbarium Launch - Karuk People's Center, Happy Camp, CA, August 11, 4 - 6 pm. Contact Lisa for more information.
 
Klamath Tribes
Fresh Wocus pods.
We have a new greenhouse and irrigation system in the Chiloquin garden. Come visit, check it out and plant something! 
  • Garden Advisory Committee needs volunteers. We would like to have at least 5 community members, Tribal preference. Contact  Perri McDaniel, 541-882-1487 ext 235 for more information.
  • Gardeners are in the Chiloquin garden Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 4pm. Want help with your garden space? Come by and they can help you plant!
Summer Youth Food Sovereignty Program. A chance for youth to learn about growing your own food, from planting seeds to planning meals. Starting soon! Contact Perri for details, Perri McDaniel, 541-882-1487 ext 235.
 
SAVE the DATE: Focus on the Wocus Weekend starts Friday July 22nd. We plan to harvest, camp, and tour restoration projects with Nature Conservancy, USFWS, and Tribal Environmental staff. Bring your questions! For start times and more, call Perri 541-882-1487 ext 235 or email [email protected].  
 
Yurok Tribe
Weeding corn is a big job - we could use some help!
Plants are growing fast in the Tribe's Community Ga rdens! Have some time to help out? In Weitchpec, call Food Tech Jeannette Robbins at 530-625-4130. In Klamath, call  Food Tech Seagull Jordan or Chris Peters. Want to work on a garden of your own? Call us for help at 707-464-1852 .  
 
 
Mid Klamath Watershed Council
 
School's out, and we're headed Back to the Garden! Kids and their adults are welcome most Tuesdays in July and August. For more info, call Grant Gilkison, 530-627-3202. 

Restoration Fridays (and some Saturdays) continue through the summer.  See schedule here. More info: Tanya Chapple, 530-627-3202 or [email protected].

We're helping out with a new Farmers' Market in Happy Camp, Thursdays starting this week! See Community Calendar for details.


Community Events Calendar CEC

New Happy Camp Farmers Market!

Thursdays 5 - 7pm starting July 14
BBQ dinners will be available
SNAP, WIC and Senior Nutrition accepted
More info: Indigo Mack, [email protected]
 
July 28-31, Humboldt State University
Financial aid available. Apply now!

Decolonizing Foodways Symposium  - featuring Karuk Cultural Biologist Ron Reed!
July 29, 6 - 9 pm, Santa Cruz, CA
Part of the 2016 SAEA Conference 

interns
Welcome Summer Interns!

Youth from Happy Camp, Orleans, Hoopa, and Willow Creek (CA) and Chiloquin (OR) are helping out this summer with Back to the Garden Tuesdays youth programs and in the community gardens.

Welcome
Andrea McLane, Autumn Allgier, Emmanuel Cyr, Irwin Wieser, John Hicks Jr., Johnathan Markin, Keegan Riddle, Ryan McManus, Ryan Mollier, Tashawna Brink, and Zaine Huhtala, and thanks in advance for all your hard work! We couldn't do it without you.


Klamath Food Security Resources resource 
MKWC FOODSHEDS WEBSITE 
Wondering what, where and when to plant? Visit the
Mid Klamath Watershed Counci l Foodsheds pages  
for excellent free online info on the vegetables and fruits that grow best here, along with planting calendars, soil, and disease prevention advice.

MID KLAMATH FOODSHED FACEBOOK PAGE
Keep in touch with us! Find upcoming events, see photos, ask questions, let your neighbors know what's going on in the foodshed! All that and more on the Foodshed Facebook page.

The Karuk Tribe's new Sípnuuk Digital Library supports food security and sovereignty with information on our regional food security issues, solutions and knowledge of traditional and contemporary foods and materials. Easy to use and open to all - sign up now!
 

This project is supported by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Food Security Grant # 2012-68004-20018